Arsenal: Every good boy deserves football

A sumptuous evening of entertainment last night from two of the three best attacking sides in the country last night. The perfect paradigm of the two half contest. Thrills, a couple of goalkeeping spills, a point apiece the only fair result. Yes, yes, yes I know three points would have been handy but what we got is what we deserved.

First, a word of praise for Klopp’s boys who in Firmino, Mane and Salah have a very talented strike. If they were given a sight of goal anywhere around the box they pulled the trigger. The bloody irony is that all the Liverpool goal’s we the result of either a deflection from an Arsenal boot or leg ( the first two) or Cech muffing a shot from outside the box the would deal with nineteen times out twenty.

Second, I read a few comments last nigh to the effect that AFC’s defending was woeful in the first half. Well perhaps, but during that 45 Liverpool’s movement and passing in our half was excellent in our half. Like a boxer trying to move up a weight we found ourselves pinned back and hanging on under the flurry of blows. On the intermittent occasions we managed to get the ball over he half way line nothing came of it. Mignolet snoozed. To go in at 0-1 was a relief to me, though apparently not for those AFC fans who see booing anyone in red shirt as constructive criticism.

To go two down on 52 minutes from a breakaway was a potential knock out but like any shock to the system it worked. Within seconds we reeled up from the canvas, swung in a speculative cross any our favourite Chilean rippled the onion bag. Like a balloon meeting an angry knitting needle suddenly the Scousers could not keep the ball, and in their turn staggered sideways and back as we finally roared.

Mesut, who had been quieter than a church mouse suddenly was everywhere. Xhaka hit a decent but saveable shot which Mignolet produced the most inept one handed effort to keep out. Even from 0-2 to 2-2 in three minutes.

Taking the lead through Mesut’s individual craft was, by that stage, entirely unexpected and for a few minutes afterwards Liverpool were dead and we could ( and probably should) have scored again. However, the goddess of football had other ideas and cast a spell on Cech who gifted Firmino the final equalizer. Is it me or is our keeper looking a little older of late ? We huffed for the final 20 but our game was run. Liverpool hoped to catch us on the break again but even they were running out of energy. Atkinson finally blew his whistle. I slumped exhausted to the carpet.

So finally to the mentions. Of our lads, Granit, Ainsley, Mesut, Jack and Alexis get upon Santa’s knee for a extra special extra present. You deserve it boys. To be fair I was satisfied with everyone last night.

So five clear days off before Palace. A few games today to keep an eye on.

gf60
This is a problem that can be fixed, but once again it is down to the players desire to improve .
The resolution could as simple as Dance- Ballet or Tap, disciplines that demand good footwork, core strength, timing and balance.
The reason I admire Cristiano most is his desire to improve,to do what it takes to make it happen, unlike many players earning a tenth of his wage.

Ed
These guys are professionals ,they have been practicising and aiming for this goal pretty much since 8 years old.
Therefore improvements can be made with training and desire, all faults may not be cleared but errors can be reduced that should be the aim of each player.

They is an saying in pro boxing that it is hard to get up at 4 in the morinin and run in the cold once you have taken off your silk pyjamas (I’m paraphasing but you get my dirft) . There is lots of hate for Floyd Mayweather but the reason he can command the mad money he got for that ‘Fight’ he had with Mcgregor is because he put in the work in his 20’s,30’s .
Training is intended to create automatic responses,the players know the method works they have to rely on their training, in game.
Good technical levels relieve stress and pressure, these can be achieved with training and dedication to the craft.

wwwb that is the point, the pressure makes them have muddled thinking, it overrides their ability, we see it week in week out, a defender who would if team is 3 up sheppard an attacker in the area and block his shooting lane, will if winning 1-0 late in the game dive in and try and win the ball, risking everything, how often do we see an attacker going nowhere, with two or three defenders around get fouled cos one of the defenders stupidly “has a rush of blood” and tries to win the ball needlessly. Its the same with attackers, 3 up and they calmly finish off a difficult chance like its an open goal, but same player 1 down in stoppage time and he baloons an easy chance. Its muddled thinking brought on by the pressure of the situation.

As wenger stated after the game, many of the team froze or were paralyzed in the first half by fear of what LFC attack can do, they did not carry out the pre planned tactics of how to deal with them.

eduardo792
I agree with you, but pressure is not an excuse for a pro footballer.
Pressure is for the fans to feel.
The player has dedicated his life to this pursuit, execution is down to a trust in technique which is honed in training.
They succumb to the percieved pressure, instead of focusing on the technique.
So lack of focus is more a downfall of the players.
The players must depend on training the best and most sucessful teams and players focus on technique honed in training.
If the player has no desire to improve he becomes one dimensional or un adaptable.

Jack Wilshere
on a very positive note has shown commendable developement in his play in the last few games.
Considering how much footbal he has missed, he has shown a really good understanding of football and how he can contibute on both sides of the ball.
That has made me very happy.
Merry Christmas all

Hope you had a good Christmas (cheers Don for letting us say that again!) folks.

Now back to the footy.

Spurs are jammy eh. Depleted Burnley with their main defender banned. Then onto Saints with their main defender and in form striker missing. While Spurs main man and his nefarious sidekick should both be out. Bah humbug. Gits.

As for the ole holiday transfer rumours. Wise are those who avoid them. Something mighty aggravating about the way you’ll often see a player linked mainly with us initially, and before long one or all of Chelsea, Pool, City, Utd then linked with him.

Plays on that unpleasant sense we’re up against it because of the superior finances of three of them, whether that’s for a lad at Monaco, Burnley, PSG, Palace, PSV of wherever.

There’s truth in that of course, and a reminder of how much harder the landscape is than the days we made a lot of our greatest signings- Bergkamp, Overmans, Henry,etc, etc- but it’s pointless thinking too much about it.

https://mobile.twitter.com/HKane/status/945669662821552128
Nice pic of the spuds celebrating in the dressing room over Kane……but correct me if I am wrong ,I don’t see a major trophy?
Not that I am saying there is anything wrong with such dressing room celebrations, but according to the media and certain pundits, there certainly is, especially when AFC are involved, I know I can rely on the media to be consistent in this matter.
Also , seem to remember some of our calendar year records not being treated especially respectfully..

Jamie Redknapp now saying Ox transformed at Liverpool, despite just playing very few games, not the best sample size really Jamie
He says it is unfair to question coaching methods at Arsenal…But…..then goes on to suggest other players at a bit of a standstill
Nothing like healthy media bias, even if it is groundless, and poorly researched

Annoying thing with Ox was that, if he’d stayed, this was surely to be the season we’d get the answer about whether he could finally and truly kick on. Everything suggested that. His age, his extra involvement last year, signs that he was overcoming what I saw at least as some serious issues with confidence and an ability to deal with setbacks.

In other words, it was always likely that if involved same or more than last year with us he would at least improve a bit more, and perhaps significantly. About 50:50 for me on the latter.

Of course now it will be written if he does kick on that it was a case of Arsenal/wenger bad ; Liverpool/Klopp good.

That said, still some way to go. Southampton away in cup last year proved that in near ideal conditions he can play in the middle and have a wonderful game, but that didn’t begin to convince me he could excel in all types of games in there. A battered and beleaguered Swansea is closer to that Saints game than the harder stuff.

The Jose stuff is amusing, and so tantalising. Feels like we could have a win-win.

He is bringing the issue of spending for success bang into the centre of the football conversation. Far more enjoyably, he is highlighting his own endless and amazing hypocrisy, as this is a man who when in the position of being able to outspend all comers undoubtedly reacted with fury at any suggestion it was the main factor in any success.

As part of the same effort he would at all times try to blur the lines or deny the disadvantages rivals who had far less to spend were faced with. Everything in his attitude towards Wenger especially was predicated upon that.

Even now, if his job is made acutely difficult by City’s finances, and expectations should be in line with that, what does it mean for other clubs who have significantly less than he does at utd?

The most enjoyable aspect is that, as well as these questions having a prominent place in the football conversation, journalists should have to pick sides. Either by rejecting Jose’s claims, and so making themselves ridiculous as ever by downplaying the role of mega spending and finances, or by agreeing at least partially with him, and in doing so admitting indirectly how wrong their attitude has been towards our own financial strength for more than a decade.

Alas, tantalising is as good as it gets. None of the journalists in question have any worries about consistency or consistent logic. They’re not obliged to do so and are presumably dictated to by the near opposite.

our game v Crystal Palace marks the second half of the season, its game 20, so half our league game played and yes if successful we will have more cup games in the second half of the season than we have had so far, but half way in the league is as good a point to say we are half way through the season.
so here are my thoughts on the season so far

it started off with a 4-3 home win v LCFC, and I suppose that game hinted at things to come, a real up and down game, started well, took the lead, fell behind, came back to win. too open at the back, too strung out in midfield and too individual in attack. Again this game brought up the weakness we have see over several seasons, once we concede a goal a bit of panic sets in to our defensive play, and we are as likely to let in another goal or two as we are to keep it at the one. 23 goals conceded in our 19 league games so far, yet we have 9 clean sheets, so that makes it 23 goals conceded in the 10 games we have conceded a goal.
We have only failed to score in 4 league games so far, but have only scored 34 goals, and have by far the worst goal difference of the top 6 sides.

so where are our biggest problems, is it keeping them out, or putting them away, well its a hard question to answer. the mistakes and poor defending that has led to so many of the goals against us is inclined to stay in the mind, and although we overall have had lots of shots, and I don’t remember many real sitters missed, but yet our conversion rate and more so our inability to turn high possession % into high number of goals is a real concern.
I sometimes wonder if our coaches or players are too obsessed by possession stats, that it leads to negative play, with players afraid to swing in a cross, or take on that defensive line, in an attempt to create a goal, in case they lose it and instead are happier to just recycle the ball, backwards, as after game stats will show passing in the high 90’s.
On this subject I will admit that I have two real bugbears in football, one is as many on here will know is our players putting the ball out of play cos an opponent lies down pretending to be injured, especially when its clear our players know its fake, the rule is that its up to the ref to stop play, not for players to take it upon themselves. Yet several times a season we see our players stop an attack and put the ball out of play cos an opponent is pretending to be mortally wounded.
My second big bugbear is how often we are on attack and get within 10 yards or so of their goal line and yet somehow the ball starts to go backwards, only to end up with our keeper, who invariably ends up kicking it long, I really don’t understand why we do it, surely swinging a ball into an opponents area, even if headed clear, is better than going all the way back to our own area. Is it again our players thinking of passing stats.

That last point my sound odd when most on here knows my views on how often Alexis loses the ball, but for me there are ways and means of losing the ball, and for me a lot of his are the needless kind.

A thought I have had watching our attacks this season, turn back and sideways pass is that maybe our system lacks a real dribbler, none of our attackers are that sort of player, many will take on a man, maybe even two, but its mostly give and go, one twos, not direct running, not beating a few and putting in a pass or a cross to create a goal, or even space, we lack an Alex Hleb type, yes he might have been dribbly dribbly mac no score, but he certainly opened up packed defenses,
I would also say that most of us on here have noticed (hard not to) the marked difference when our team plays with high energy and high tempo, and that this has been for the most part missing from our game this season, why, I have no idea. We see it in flashes, oddly enough the best prolonged display of high tempo was in a game we lost, Man Utd, and the worse display of lacking in tempo was the first 45 v Liverpool. the utd game showed we can open up a team with an expensive parked bus, but since that defeat our play has been anemic, draws with southampton and west ham, narrow win over newcastle and a draw with liverpool, when one would assume that anything like the tempo shown v Man Utd would have ripped those teams apart and might very well have seen us with an extra 6 pts.
I think it is the massive drops in performance levels that has so many fans perturbed and confused. We can see that the players are capable of a high tempo game, but it just does not happen near often enough. Its something that can be leveled at the team with so many things, like focus, concentration, disciplined defending, all things that we see from the team in some games, CFC and THFC two that spring to mind, yet we have the sort of brain freeze or panic defending that see us cock up for 3 soft goals v utd, 7 v liverpool, 3 v lcfc a bit too often.

a big concern is the contract situation with Ozil, Alexis and Wilshere, and others like Ramsey. Transfer window opens on Monday, the first 3 can seal free transfer deals for the summer with foreign clubs, will BPL clubs make us offers for them now that will be too good to refuse, have we any deals lined up, who knows, all we do know is that till they either sign new deals, or announce summer deals or are sold, we will have daily rumors about them, which is not helpful.

Now looking forward to the second half of the season.

we are in the Semi Finals of the league cup, CFC in a two game semi with the winner facing Man City or Bristol City on Feb 25th, the day we are due to play Man City in the League, now wouldn’t that be an odd turn of events, city at Wembley instead of at the Emirates
We are in the knock out stages of the Europa league, and are one of the favorites for the cup.
And lets not forget our FA Cup defense starts in 10 days time v Nottingham Forrest.
Top 4 is still well within our grasp, so if the team can sort itself out and get the performance levels up to the heights, consistently, that we know they are capable of, then we could very well be right up the table, and winners of a cup treble, now wouldn’t that upset the media, the pgmol and most of all a whole section of so called Arsenal supporters.

Sums up some of the issues nicely Eduardo, there is certainly serious talent in that squad, but doesn’t always come together, at least at the speed it should.
As we are not primarily a defence orientated team, our defending comes from attacking tempo, and possession , when lacking on one or more of these, we can become ponderous, predictable, and relatively easily picked off by lesser opponents. Which is frustrating. I do t have the stats to back my man, but I suspect we were less vulnerable to this sort of thing when we had the likes of Santi Caz.
But if it can frustrate us, must frustrate the hell out of Wenger, no matter what he says or shows in public.
I suspect more pieces are needed in this jigsaw
Interesting to note Liverpools net spend over the last few months, about 180 m with Keita, unless they are about to sell someone?
If not, interesting with stadium payments. It is said we held back in transfers to fit in with FFP on wages, of so, I would suggest we are one of the few that did.
Liverpool, hopefully not, but ,Possibly another team we cannot, of perhaps for good reasons,choose not to compete with financially, or maybe we are holding back for more building, recent backroom appointments would suggest that, an interesting few months ahead.

More than likely Liverpool spent that money knowing they can/will get well over 100 mill for Coutinho.

Strangely, despite losing plenty of big players over last decade we’ve never had one of those absolute bonanza’s from a sale.

Still risky for them to spend that much, in a way that isn’t the case for City nor, to a slightly lesser degree, Utd and Chelsea. Like with us, big transfers hurt if they go wrong, and a giant one would hurt a hell of lot and can’t be corrected relatively painlessly.

I believe we mean it when we say we’d do something similar- i.e. stretch ourselves massively for a player we felt sure could make a sizeable improvement to the team- but all the candidates are guaranteed to be of serious interest to wealthier rivals, and I don’t think we’d go that far either.

I’m not sure City would have gone that far even if they were extremely interested in Van Dijk. Also possible is that Liverpool may have, in effect, paid an extra premium to ensure Saints are happy enough to conclude deal quickly and actually catch City out for once.
It’s as though they anticipated how far they could actually end up going if it dragged on with City matching bids and went there early.

Something similar may well have been possible originally with Lemar, at a price less than the one we ultimately bid not long after. Reported figure we bid for him was staggering in a manner akin to Van Dijk’s fee.

We may have to attempt comparable things again in next year or so, and may have to get to the point quicker in order to succeed.

arsene wenger’s former player george weah has been elected the new president of liberia. arsene prophetically congratulated him last month and those who didnt know wenger was a prophet mocked him. but his prophesy has come to pass.